New Educational Resource on Internet Security
A number of government agencies and technology companies have joined forces to create an educational Web site on Internet security, online fraud and computer security called OnGuard Online. It has a ton of great and (sometimes) fun quizzes to test your knowledge on phishing, file sharing, social networks, online auctions and more. There are videos, tutorials and links to software tools with many of them available in Spanish.
We've linked to the site from our online security page:
http://www.uwcu.org/OnlineBanking/OnlineSecurity/Default.aspx
Browser Support Updated for Firefox 3
A new version of Firefox is now available. Version 3 adds a bunch of new features and improvements to page loading speed and memory usage. We've fully tested the new version with our Web site and Web Branch and have added it to our supported browsers list.
For those of you not familiar with Firefox, it is made by the Mozilla Corporation, a non-profit company based in California. Firefox was introduced in 2004 and quickly took off. It is the second most popular browser after Microsoft Internet Explorer.
For those of you still using Firefox 1 and 1.5, those versions are no longer supported by Mozilla. Now would be a great time to upgrade to make sure you aren't vulnerable to any security flaws.
Labels: help, tips, Web Branch, Web site
Your Feedback After Three Months
We’ve received a lot of feedback since our blog went live in February. So it is about time I shared some of the feedback that we’ve heard and provided some answers. But first, I wanted to mention that many of you have submitted feedback using the “Post a Comment” function, and many of them were posted anonymously. Since we are not posting the comments to the blog, I am unable to respond directly to each comment. If you would like a response, please e-mail sourcecode@uwcu.org.
Since adding Certificate Opening to Web Branch (read previous post), we’ve had an amazing response to the number of members using it. However, some of you have commented that you’d like the ability to use this interface for IRA Certificates and also for other ownership types like trusts and POD. We are actively looking into how we can enhance the process to provide the additional ownership options. More information on these options will be available soon.
A few of you have inquired about the ability to do check deposits from home via Web Branch instead of having to visit a branch or ATM. We’ve been monitoring the different options for this service for a number of years. Technology has recently changed where home scanners are being used to send a check image to do the transaction. We are starting to look into this new technique and will hopefully find a solution so we can add the service to Web Branch in the future. Now if we can just figure out how to dispense cash out of a CD-ROM drive!
We’ve also had requests for an online register in Web Branch so memos, categories and other data can be attached to your transaction history. We think this is the future of online banking and are actively working on this service. I’m really excited about the potential this has to make managing your finances even easier with Web Branch. As we get closer to being able to offer this service, we’ll be providing additional details.
We have received a number of questions that are technical in nature. This is not the focus of the blog, however with the title of the blog being Source Code, it probably looks like we’d cover the technologies used for our Web services. I’d be happy to respond to these kinds of questions individually if you e-mail or include an e-mail address in your comment post.
Finally, we’ve received lots of positive comments and praise. It is great to be reassured that our efforts are recognized and appreciated by our members. All too often, people don’t take the time to write unless they are having a problem. We believe strongly in providing a great online experience for our members, so it is great to have confirmation that our work is making a difference in our members’ lives.
We really appreciate the feedback—keep it coming!
Labels: about, feedback, new features, tips
Open a Certificate in 60 Seconds on Web Branch
We've had instant deposit account opening on Web Branch since July 2007, but certificate accounts were not available. We've added certificate account opening to the new account tool. It's a simple process to open a new certificate:
- Choose the type of deposit account you'd like to open.
- For a certificate account, choose the type of certificate and the term (we have a savings advice calculator to help you narrow down the choices and select the account the best meets your needs).
- Read and accept the disclosures.
- Choose the account you'd like to fund the new certificate from and the amount.
- Set up additional account options like a nickname and if you'd like a joint account holder.
- Verify that all the details are correct.
- Congratulations, you have a new certificate. You'll instantly see it on your account summary.
To begin the process, select Open New Account on the Account Summary.
Labels: new features, tips, Web Branch
What is a Security Phrase?
The security phrase feature has been part of Web Branch and Web Alerts since 2003. However, we still hear from members from time to time who are confused with how the security phrase works. I'd like to address what the security phrase is and how it protects you and your accounts from fraud.
The security phrase is not a password. You should not include private information in your security phrase like your Social Security Number or mother's maiden name. In fact, it should not be just one word, it should be a phrase. I like to use some of my favorite song lyrics. Other good phrases might be a list of your favorite movies or books, kids' names, or famous quotes. The best security phrase is something you'll immediately recognize as being something you wrote.
We put your security phrase in every automated e-mail we send. E-mail is not secure (it is transmitted as text over the Internet and could be intercepted and read). That's why you should not include anything private in your phrase.
By including your security phrase in e-mails, you can be sure they are from UW Credit Union. With phishing and other types of e-mail fraud, scammers send thousands of e-mails hoping they reach customers who might fall for the scam. However, in their spam, they'd never be able to customize the message to include your security phrase. This means that as long as you recognize your phrase in an e-mail from UW Credit Union, you can be comfortable knowing it is legitimate.
If you're a Web Alerts user with a good security phrase, no action is required. You can continue to use Web Alerts comfortably and confidently. If you use Web Alerts and don't have a security phrase or are using a password or other private information in your phrase, please create or change your phrase immediately. This is easily done by clicking on the Update Security Phrase link in any Web Alert or by logging into Web Branch and going to the My Profile & Services tab.
Labels: feedback, help, tips, Web Branch
Customize Web Branch with User Preferences
Last week we introduced Quick Views (read the previous post here). We realize some members may not want to use this feature so we've added the ability to turn it off to the User Preferences page. This page can be accessed via the My Profile & Services tab.
We have a few other customization options available there now and we'll be adding more choices as new features are added.
Labels: new features, tips, Web Branch
